Only when the bracelets went on did reality dawn on Twilight Velvet.

"No," she said, like as parent correcting child. "No, that - that's wrong."

The officer pulled her towards the carriage. "You'll be coming with me, miss."

"No!" She yanked back, and pointed at the damned butler. "It was Randolph! He saw the whole thing! He was there! He probably planted that bag, too! He's lying to you! To all of us!" For her trouble, she was shoved into the back of the carriage, reminding her of her yet-mending bruises, and buffeted by the door slamming behind her. "Ugh, ow."

Velvet soon realized Sergeant Sentry was already in the front of the carriage, which promptly shut her up. It wouldn't do to cry and whine about evil butlers around him. Not in normal circumstances, anyway, but certainly not now, with Flash on his mind.

The other officer got into the driver's seat and glanced back at her, still sprawled on the backseat bench. "This is more for your protection. If the real criminal is still out there, you'll be safe in the booking house. But, you know…" She looked at the Sergeant, and the Sergeant looked at her. "The rest, save it for the detectives."

With that, he started the carriage, and they made their way to the road.

Velvet gradually sat up and watched the scene disappear behind her. A couple ponies were setting cordons around the property, and another was taking photos of flagged evidence in the grass - maybe hoofprints, she couldn't tell. In amongst it all, between a maple tree and a fence pillar, she spotted Randolph looking back at her, watching her be taken away, with a smirk.

Of all the ponies, the damned butler!

Hie you down the country lane
To fields of dewdrop grass.
Playing there we two became
The cheeks of one's own -

Crass. And hardly evocative. Zecora turned, found the colder side of the pillow. And tried again. Silence and darkness for long moments, then….

Take me o'er the edge
Save me from my headge
Were you here then we'dge
Seal the 'ternal pledge

No. What? What in Tartarus did that even mean? And why rhyme everything with 'edge'? Such a constraining scheme. But that was beside the point. She found the cold-ish side of the pillow again and closed her eyes. If she couldn't be free of it, at least make it a good one, she thought…

I work with worst uncertainty
But keep on putting polish
Until you mirr'r me faithfully
Without a tinge of -

The phone rang, and Zecora leapt out of bed. Her head was still pounding. Her body still ached. And an unfinished scheme soured the air. That, at least, was a new one.

She reached over to the bedside table and snatched the hoofset. "Tarnish?"

The voice on the other end said, "Is - what?"

She cleared her throat. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Who is this? Why do you call?"

"Ah, Zecora. Sorry to disturb your meditation or whatever, but I figured you'd wanna know right away. We caught your canary."

"My canary? Speak regular-y."

The other voice suppressed a chuckle to speak in a grave tone. "It's Twilight Velvet. She's booked, Zed."

Only one word came to mind. "Again!?"

Voices echoing down the hall reminded Twilight Velvet where she was, which wasn't a pleasant reminder, but the distant familiarity of one of the voices was striking.

"... really always gotta make these rhyme, Zed?"

"Always? No, I can stop if I wish. But can you stop being a little b-"

"Zecora!" she cried, and ran up to the bars to get a look at that brilliant zebra. "Celestia, am I glad to see you."

Zecora nodded. "Velvet. Well met."

Velvet shrugged. "Eh. Given the circumstances, it's better than last time. What's going on?"

The officer stallion accompanying, and arguing with, Zecora explained, "I don't know how, but Zed here convinced the Sergeant to let you out of here again -"

"Not permanently. Provisionally."

"- yes, provisionally, on being able to prove your innocence. So, it's basically permanent. Right, Zed?"

Velvet raised an eyebrow at Zecora. "Zed?"

The zebra didn't even glance at the gregarious officer. "My name is not Zed. Something is wrong in this one's head. But… his summary of events is without much pretense."

The officer smiled and nodded. "That's her way of admitting I'm right."

Velvet said, "Okay."

A moment passed, with the three of them just standing around with a jailhouse door between them. Zecora cleared her throat meaningfully and gestured at the lock, whose keys the officer already had strapped to his belt.

"Oh! Right! Yeah, I guess I should let you out now. Away from the bars, don't hurt yourself…"

Velvet stepped away, and felt a wave of relief at hearing the ka-chunk of an unlocking cell door. Not quite as much as the last time, but the stakes were a little higher now, so it evened out.

Zecora led Velvet down the hall, which she was glad to say she hadn't memorized yet, as the officer continued to heckle 'Zed'. She wondered if there was a history there, but, all things considered, she was probably better off not knowing.

They were one step out the front door when Zecora's patience ran out. An appropriate place for it, really. "Now this is where we separate. If we never meet again, I'll ce-"

"Celebrate! Yeah, see, we're completing each other's sentences and shit! You know you love me."

"The only sentence you should complete is one in prison, with nothing to eat."

Velvet sucked air through her teeth. "Ooh. Harsh."

The stallion - she somehow hadn't caught his name yet - actually seemed hurt by that one. Of course, it was hard to tell. Zecora only made it a few steps from the building before he had that stupid smile on his face again.

"Hey Zed, how about just one more rhyme?"

She somehow responded, "That will have to wait for another time," with a tone that suggested there would never, ever be another time, if she had anything to say about it.

Still, Velvet couldn't help but laugh.

Author's Note

Message given to Dashie05 for Chapter 5:
They will come back to Yearling manor to solve the case. The butler didn't actually do it. Sgt's son Flash Sentry was poisoned or something, idk. AK will pay. Keep the samaras flying.